The Day After
by Ara E R Took
Summary: Sequel to 'A Truth: Barry's Story' because some of my friends complained that they were still confused. Beginning the day Kayla gets out of jail...
1. Chapter 1

The Day After By Ara E R Took  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Kayla shook slightly, running a pale hand through her hair. All around her she could hear mutterings, the voices of other prisoners floating through the air to her. This was it; her last day in Azkaban. Footsteps echoed down the corridor, making her shaking even worse. She pressed her face against the cell bars, peering as far down the hall as she could.  
At last the formidable form of the English Minister of Magic could be seen. Percy Weasly could not say that he was all too pleased to be there. Prisoners kept reaching out of their cells to grab at his cloak, whimpering in a most pathetic manner. He half wished that there were still dementors around to keep them at bay. Sadly, there weren't, and his new robes were already showing grimy stains.  
Percy paused before Kayla's cell. Her face was long and gaunt, as if she hadn't had enough to eat during her stay at Azkaban. Most likely she hadn't. Her long straight blonde hair hung in dirty clumps around her face, and her normally bright blue eyes were muted. Percy shook his head before unfurling a long sheet of parchment in a most official manner.  
" 'By order of the Ministry of Magic, Kayla Moone, currently held in detention at Azkaban Prison, is to be released today, July 7, from the said prison," Percy droned as he read from the parchment, "etc. etc. signed by the Minister of Magic.' "  
For the first time in months, a smile lit Kayla's face.  
  
It was raining very hard, and Kayla was delighted. She laughed, spinning among the droplets. Quite frankly, Kayla didn't care that the new robes they had given her were being ruined, or that her freshly cared-for hair was going wild. For the moment, she was truly happy.  
  
Two large golden eyes shot a glance at the window, then turned to catch a bi-colored pair. "I don't see how you can be so calm about all this."  
"I don't see how you can be so worked up; she's coming out today."  
But despite Alden's collectedness, Silvia was worried. "They're late. What if something went wrong?"  
She felt a hand on her arm and turned to face Dean. His sweet smile nearly melted her heart, and it was nearly all she could do to stay worried about Kayla. "Silvia," his voice was soothing, "let's think about the good things. Kay is getting out today. Liam will be here soon. Alden hasn't gotten into any trouble lately," (a pair of bi-colored eyes rolled here) "and we are getting married."  
At this last word Ron Weasly, his arm loosely around Alden's waist, coughed meaningfully. Silvia nearly laughed as Alden raised an eyebrow and said, "Alright, then? Need water?"  
"No," Ron muttered. When Alden turned to glance out the window, Ron mouthed to Dean and Silvia, "See what I have to put up with?"  
Silvia did laugh then. 


	2. Chapter 2

The Day After  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Liam O'Malley was thinking about Charles Dickens, or whoever it was that wrote 'Tale of Two Cities.' Details to that effect were irrelevant to his present situation. What was relevant was the first line: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." And all those lines in the first paragraph were generally applicable as well. Maybe not the bit about the king with the big nose, though. Or was that in the second paragraph? Liam couldn't quite recall. The thing about the king's nose was irrelevant, so he didn't trouble himself about it.  
It was indeed the best of times. Kayla was getting out of jail in England. Then she was going to come back to America with him and settle down. He just couldn't keep up with her and Silvia, not if he expected to keep his job teaching at Princeton. It wasn't every day, he reminded himself often, that non-wizards got teaching positions at magic schools. So he'd stay at Princeton until he did.  
That was another way in which it was the best of times. Liam was still walking on air from getting married to Kayla a month before 'the incident' that had sent her into hiding in England. He was still a bit fuzzy on the details, but then, Liam wasn't really a detail person. It was all about the big picture. The nub and gist of it was that Kayla loved him, despite his lack of magical abilities.  
Yet it was, as Dickens had most likely said, the worst of times. Maybe not the exact worst of times, things could have gotten uglier. But things were still pretty bad. Liam hadn't quite gotten used to British cars. Driving on the 'wrong' side of the road didn't help in the least, nor did the fact that the rental car was now slammed into a tree, metal bent in all the wrong directions. He had run out of petrol to boot. Now he was going to be late to pick up Kayla.  
And it was raining. Liam usually liked rain; it was one of the oddities he and Kayla shared. But when standing in mud at least half a yard deep, anyone will turn against rain.  
He sighed to himself as he climbed back into the wreck, pulling one foot out of the oozing brown gunk at a time. What he wouldn't give to be able to appear and disappear the way Kayla and Silvia could. what was it called? 'Apperating' and 'disapperating', something to that effect; the point being, he could use it now.  
But he had no bloody idea how to.  
  
Silvia jumped every time a squad car drove by, and it was driving her friend insane. "Breathe, Silvia. Just remember to breathe."  
"You're not exactly helping, Alden."  
"What'm I supposed to do?"  
"Tell me why Kay and Liam are late!"  
Dean broke into the conversation at this point. "Ladies, ladies. Let's be civilized about this. Alden, leave Silvia alone."  
A dual colored pair of eyes flashed at Dean and he shivered. Whenever Alden's eyes flashed, which was often due to her temperament, he was reminded of the day they had first met. Though he hadn't realized it at the time, it had been a hugely historic day in all their lives. He and Silvia had met, Ron and Alden had met, Harry's fate had been sealed.  
The same oddly icy voice with which Alden had first addressed Harry sliced the air, making Dean shiver yet again. "If I have to leave her alone, she has to stop having nervous spasms every 5 seconds."  
"I'll try." Silvia sighed, and Dean saw Alden's face relax a little. Feeling more relaxed himself, Dean settled down onto the waiting room sofa, gently pulling Silvia down onto his lap. She smiled, putting her arms around his neck and allowing him to draw her into a kiss.  
In one accord, Ron and Alden turned around, giving the engaged couple a bit of privacy. At least, that's why Ron turned. As they gazed out the window together, Alden muttered to him, "I know they're getting married, but urgh!"  
"What?" Ron studied her profile as she kept her eyes locked on the rainy street outside. "D'you have a problem with kissing?"  
Alden shook her head, making her long ponytail swish softly back and forth. Because they were standing so close, a few muddy brown strands brushed against Ron's cheek. "It's not that they're kissing," she replied, "It's that they're so. sweet."  
"You're an odd one." Ron chuckled. His arm, still around her waist, tightened a little, drawing her in closer to his chest. Her bright eyes broke from the street long enough to look into his with a smile that could, under the circumstances, only be described as sweet.  
"I take that as a compliment, you know."  
"It was intended to be one."  
"Well, thank you."  
"You're welcome." With that, since he knew she had no objection to the activity, Ron pulled Alden closer still and kissed her.  
  
Liam was very put out. He sat in the rented wreck, peering out through the open driver's door into the downpour. Every now and again a car would speed past, but none ever stopped. It was just as bad as in America, only everything was backwards. And British, too.  
After what felt like hours a squad car pulled over to the road beside him. Liam leapt to his feet, instantly sinking into the mud again. Someone in long robes got out, sinking into the mud as well. In a hoarse voice the policeman (or whatever they were called in real English, Liam thought almost glumly) called out, "You O'Malley?"  
"What?"  
"I say, dear boy, are you Liam O'Malley?" 


	3. Chapter 3

The Day After  
  
Chapter 3  
  
It was much warmer inside the squad car, but Liam was still shivering uncontrollably. The elderly gentleman who had called out to him tsked and passed Liam a flask. As he took it, Liam felt heat creeping slowly into his fingers. His first sip of the spicy liquid returned feeling to his arms and legs. When the flask had been duly emptied, he was feeling much warmer, if a bit sleepier. Silence took hold of the little car as it continued to zoom on.  
Liam pressed his head against the cool window glass and immediately all drowsiness fled from his system. They were at least 20 feet in the air.  
  
Alden's eyes flicked impatiently to the door as it opened, but her annoyed expression quickly vanished when she saw who had come in. "Liam!"  
"Steady on, loves!" Liam laughed joyfully as he suddenly found both Silvia and Alden in his arms, nearly tackling him backwards against the wall. The golden eyed one smiled happily at him.  
"Oh, Liam, I'm so glad you've made it!"  
"We were awfully worried you'd get stuck in this horrid downpour." Alden added in.  
"Well, I didn't. Where's Kay?"  
Alden frowned while Silvia gnawed nervously on her lip. From behind them a young man with bright red hair and a tall, almost lanky frame clarified, "She's not here yet."  
"Ah," Liam frowned for a moment, disentangling himself from the girls, then smiling as he approached the man who had spoken, "I'm guessing you're Ron Weasly?"  
"How'd you guess?" Ron grinned, running a hand through his bright locks while shaking Liam's hand with his other hand.  
Liam laughed, "Well, it wasn't the hair, or the freckles." Actually, Ron's freckles were barely visible now, and if he hadn't been looking for them Liam might not have spotted them at first. Just before releasing his hand Liam leaned forward and joked in a soft voice, "Actually, it was the way you were looking at Alden, if you really want to know."  
This comment made Ron blush fiercely, not helped by the fact that Alden had now come to stand beside them. She raised an eyebrow at both of them as Ron looked away, but decided not to say anything.  
"So!" Liam turned with a smile to Dean. Silvia had also joined them, and her fiancée's arm was again wrapped around her waist. "You must be Dean Thomas, and quite a lucky man."  
"I'd say so," Dean replied, glancing at Silvia while shaking Liam's hand. Silvia giggled, cheeks coloring slightly now that Ron's had faded back to their usual color. Then Dean looked back toward Liam. "I assume you're Liam O'Malley."  
"That I am."  
"Also a lucky man."  
Alden rolled her eyes, "Only if Kay shows up." She saw Silvia's mortified look and quickly added, "Which she will. Soon. Really."  
Silvia sighed, leaning against Dean. With a gentle frown Liam moved closer to them while Ron led his dual colored eyed companion apart a bit. "Alden."  
"What? I was just. I thought. " she sighed, resting her head against Ron's shoulder as they stood again by the window. Her head was spinning slightly with worry. She hadn't meant to spill that concern about Kayla to the rest of the group. Ron held her close, not speaking. At length she managed to smile, "I noticed that you're the only man here who isn't lucky, according to the others."  
"Oh, they're just jealous." Despite everything, he made her smile genuinely. "She'll come, Menace. Trust me." Alden nodded, softly kissing his cheek before turning to look out the window again. 


End file.
